The invention relates to improvements in apparatus for manipulating cigarettes or other elongated rod-shaped articles of the tobacco processing industry. More particularly, the invention relates to improvements in apparatus for changing the distances or spacing or clearances between neighboring ends of coaxial rod-shaped articles of the tobacco processing industry. Still more particularly, the invention relates to improvements in apparatus for changing (increasing or reducing) the spacing between neighboring ends of successive pairs of coaxial rod-shaped articles (hereinafter called cigarettes for short) of the tobacco processing industry while the pairs of coaxial cigarettes are moved sideways, i.e., at least substantially at right angles to their longitudinal axes.
Apparatus of the above outlined character can be utilized in filter tipping machines of the type wherein plain cigarettes of multiple (normally double) unit length issuing from a cigarette rod making machine are caused to form a series or row of successive cigarettes wherein the cigarettes move sideways. For example, successive cigarettes of double unit length are severed midway between their ends to yield a series of successive pairs of coaxial plain cigarettes of unit length. The neighboring ends of plain cigarettes of successive pairs must be moved axially and away from each other (e.g., by pneumatic means) in order to establish clearances or gaps each having a length at least matching or exceeding the length of a filter mouthpiece or filter plug of double unit length. Such filter plugs of double unit length are inserted between the neighboring ends of successive pairs of spaced-apart coaxial plain cigaretets of unit length, the cigarettes of each pair are thereupon moved axially toward each other to abut the adjacent ends of the filter plug of double unit length between them, and the thus obtained groups of three coaxial rod-shaped articles (namely two spaced-apart plain cigarettes of unit length and a filter plug of double unit length between them) are then wrapped into adhesive-coated blanks of cigarette paper, artificial cork or other suitable tipping paper to form filter cigarettes of double unit length. Successive filter cigarettes of double unit length are moved sideways and severed across their filter tips of double unit length to yield pairs of filter cigarettes of unit length which are thereupon processed (such as tested for potential defects, e.g., holes in their wrappers, soft tobacco-containing ends and/or others, and packed) in the customary way.
Heretofore known methods and apparatus for varying spacings between the neighboring ends of successive pairs of plain cigarettes or other elongated rod-shaped articles of the tobacco processing industry are not entirely satisfactory, especially when such methods are employed and such apparatus are utilized in connection with the making of filter cigarettes in modern high-speed filter tipping machines.